Jonathan Club is a social club with two California locations—one in Downtown Los Angeles and the other abutting the beach in Santa Monica. The club is routinely ranked as one of the top clubs in the world by Platinum Clubs of America. History The club has two founding dates set in stone at the entrance to its Downtown Los Angeles building — 1894 (when it was a political club) and 1895 (when it segued into a non-political social club and was chartered by State of California). The club bases its anniversaries on the June 8, 1895 date. Membership in the club is by invitation only. For much of its history, the club was accused of discrimination. In 1965, the club was charged with "anti-Negro" and "anti-Jew" bias and a complaint was raised that the membership dues of Mayor Sam Yorty were being paid by city taxpayers to support such discrimination. Yorty told a news conference he knew nothing about such a circumstance. In 1975, the club did not admit women as members. Women guests were "limited to certain floors, dining rooms and entrances", though later policy changes allowed women to "use the main elevator and lobby" at the club.<ref name=PressuresMount1976>[https://search.proquest.com/docview/158155360 Barry Siegel, "Pressures Mount Against Discrimination," Los Angeles Times, December 6, 1976, page F-1] Library card required</ref> It voted to admit women in 1987, and today has more than 650 female members.Tiffany Hsu, Dressing Up Downtown, Los Angeles Times Business section, April 19, 2013 The club today The club provides dining, events, and athletic and wellness programs for members. Jonathan Club partners with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and provides volunteers and funding to civic organization L.A. Works to combat homelessness.LA Works Past and present members Prominent members include: John D. Bicknell, founder of law firm that became Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Herman Wolf Hellman, founder of Farmers & Merchants Bank; real estate investor Henry Huntington, railroad builder; land developer; rare art and book collector James Boon Lankershim, land developer John D. Spreckels, sugar and steamship entrepreneur Meredith Pinxton Snyder, banker; Los Angeles police chief, city councilman and mayor (three times) Peter Janss, developed East Los Angeles communities; philanthropist Edward Laurence Doheny, oilman Maurice Newmark, family built merchandise and grocery business into largest firm in Los Angeles Harry Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times'' Mericos Hector Whittier, oil industry pioneer; land developer William Wrigley Jr., chewing gum magnate